KoAloha vs Romero question

snowdenn

snowdenn

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Any advice for choosing between KoAloha and Romero Creations tenors? Specifically, between the KTM-00 (koa) and the Replicas in spalted mango or koa.

For the KoAloha, there's also a choice between the older and newer models with the thinner waist and shorter neck.

Just wondering if anybody has any experience with or advice about these ukuleles, especially in comparison to each other.

I know you guys can't tell me what I like, and it will mostly boil down to my own tastes and preferences. But maybe some of you can share your own thoughts and experiences with these ukuleles. I'm just trying to get more information; there might be things I've overlooked or haven't considered.
 
I own four RC models, including a tenor Replica in Spruce and mahogany, but no KoAloha. I prefer the thin necks but wider nuts of the Romero instruments over the narrower KoAloha, as well as the design cosmetics. But, of course, those types of things are subject to individual taste. When I bought the Replica, I played the mahogany, koa, and spalted mango variants that were in the HMS showroom and liked them all, but thought the mahogany Replica was the real standout: the most sweet beautiful voice. Problem was I already owned two sweet sounding mahogany tenors and wanted something different.

The one oddity with the Replica (and most other RC ukulele designs) is the reverse fan braces on the back. I suppose it acts like a secondary soundboard but is very sensitive to pressure against the back. Thus, if you hold it free and clean of your belly, volume and progression are excellent. If it touches you gut, volume is significantly reduced! Move it off your belly during a sustaining chord or note and it suddenly gets louder. So RC designs work best for players with slim waistlines, albeit placing a small towel between instrument and belly helps reduce gut muffling.
 
Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

Which sound do you prefer? Strumming or Fingerstyle? Neck shape and string & nut width? Do you play at the high end of the neck? Weight? (Probably pretty similar.) Balance? Koa versus Mango? (If you go for the spalted mango, make sure you see it before you buy. Some are gorgeous. Some not so much.) Gloss vs satin finish? Are you particular about your tuners? Bling? Which will best suit the kind of music you tend to play? Or is most versatile?

My guess is the Ko'Aloha will hold its value a little better than the Romero. Depending upon the woods and finish.

From the example videos I have listened to, the new Ko'Alohas seem to have a slightly better-balanced sound with a better mid-range. But the difference is small. The Romero Replicas seem a little brighter, but are very well balanced. But I have not owned one. My Ko'Alohas are the older designs.

So make a list of what you think are the pros and cons between the two of them and go for the one that you will play the most and will make you happiest.

Peter: "Gut muffling" I love that term. :)
 
Last edited:
snowdenn said:
Any advice for choosing between KoAloha and Romero Creations tenors? Specifically, between the KTM-00 (koa) and the Replicas in spalted mango or koa.

For the KoAloha, there's also a choice between the older and newer models with the thinner waist and shorter neck.

Just wondering if anybody has any experience with or advice about these ukuleles, especially in comparison to each other.

I know you guys can't tell me what I like, and it will mostly boil down to my own tastes and preferences. But maybe some of you can share your own thoughts and experiences with these ukuleles. I'm just trying to get more information; there might be things I've overlooked or haven't considered.
Click to expand...

I absolutely love the Romero spated replica. The action is perfect and the sound is full, with a touch of sweetness, but not too much. They are high quality ukes at a decent price point.
 
Thanks for the advice.

I should add: I have a KoAloha Opio tenor, the all acacia one. When I got it, I was trying to decide between that and an acacia/spruce Romero Replica. I really liked both, but I ended up choosing the Opio.

I don't know if that changes anything. I do prefer the KoAloha sound over the Romero, and if I only had one, it would be the KoAloha. But since I already have an Opio, I'm wondering if it's better to get a Replica instead of having both an acacia and koa KoAloha.

I've only ever heard mango on a Pono, which I loved the sound of. And I've only seen/played the Replicas in acacia/spruce, though I might be able to try out the koa and spalted mango ones. I don't think I can play/hear the KTM-00 in person, but in every sample I've heard, it sounds a little clearer than the Opio.

So I'm trying to decide whether to get a second KoAloha in koa or go with the Replicas which I also really liked. With the Replica, I'm leaning towards the spalted mango. With the KoAloha, I think I'd prefer a newer model, although I came across an older version that I think is just beautiful.

Anyway, I appreciate the comments.
 
AQUATOPAZ said:
I absolutely love the Romero spated replica. The action is perfect and the sound is full, with a touch of sweetness, but not too much. They are high quality ukes at a decent price point.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I searched the forums for threads about the spalted mango Replica and saw one you posted. I was hoping you'd comment as there's not a ton of information about them. Do you have any comparisons with the KoAloha tenors?
 
gochugogi said:
I own four RC models, including a tenor Replica in Spruce and mahogany, but no KoAloha. I prefer the thin necks but wider nuts of the Romero instruments over the narrower KoAloha, as well as the design cosmetics. But, of course, those types of things are subject to individual taste. When I bought the Replica, I played the mahogany, koa, and spalted mango variants that were in the HMS showroom and liked them all, but thought the mahogany Replica was the real standout: the most sweet beautiful voice. Problem was I already owned two sweet sounding mahogany tenors and wanted something different.

The one oddity with the Replica (and most other RC ukulele designs) is the reverse fan braces on the back. I suppose it acts like a secondary soundboard but is very sensitive to pressure against the back. Thus, if you hold it free and clean of your belly, volume and progression are excellent. If it touches you gut, volume is significantly reduced! Move it off your belly during a sustaining chord or note and it suddenly gets louder. So RC designs work best for players with slim waistlines, albeit placing a small towel between instrument and belly helps reduce gut muffling.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's helpful. I did not know that about the bracing on the back of the Replicas.
 
Kenn2018 said:
Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

Which sound do you prefer? Strumming or Fingerstyle? Neck shape and string & nut width? Do you play at the high end of the neck? Weight? (Probably pretty similar.) Balance? Koa versus Mango? (If you go for the spalted mango, make sure you see it before you buy. Some are gorgeous. Some not so much.) Gloss vs satin finish? Are you particular about your tuners? Bling? Which will best suit the kind of music you tend to play? Or is most versatile?

My guess is the Ko'Aloha will hold its value a little better than the Romero. Depending upon the woods and finish.

From the example videos I have listened to, the new Ko'Alohas seem to have a slightly better-balanced sound with a better mid-range. But the difference is small. The Romero Replicas seem a little brighter, but are very well balanced. But I have not owned one. My Ko'Alohas are the older designs.

So make a list of what you think are the pros and cons between the two of them and go for the one that you will play the most and will make you happiest.

Peter: "Gut muffling" I love that term. :)
Click to expand...

Your first and last questions I had not considered. Which is considered better for strumming and which for fingerstyle? And which is considered more versatile?
 
I use a Romero Tiny Tenor as my main instrument, for shows and recording. It is a good ukulele, and travels very well.

That said, Koaloha ukes have a sweet, round sound that no other uke has. If you want that sound, nothing else will get you there.
 
I have the older Koaloha KTM-00 and I love it. I bought it from HMS and find the 1-1/2"nut easy to play. This is inspite of typically preferring a narrower nut on other ukuleles. I can't speak to a Romero uke having not tried one.
 
merlin666 said:
Would the Romero be more comparable to a Hawaiian KoAloha or an Opio?
Click to expand...

I would imagine the Hawaiian KoAloha. At least price-wise, they're closer. Except the acacia/spruce Replica. That one is closer to the Opio in price. As I understand it, that one was supposed to be a laminate, but there was a mixup and the factory produced solid wood Replicas. I think for that reason, the solid wood acacia/spruce Replica is a limited production.
 
I really like the quality and design of Romero Creations, but in a shootout against KoAloha, I'd probably pick the latter: Fuller sound, Hawaiian origin, and certainly a better resale value. However, you mentioned that you already have an Opio: In my experience, they are so close to the Hawaiian ones that I wouldn't bother to upgrade. Instead, I'd chose to spread the love and experience something different from another maker with a different approach to building instruments. Out of the Replica models, I'd pick the all solid Acacia/Spruce which seems to be the best value and has all the interesting build features without the bling.
 
The one variable that's difficult to get a full sense of despite how many descriptions one reads, videos one watches is how the neck feels in one's hand. Everyone's hands are going to be different, so how one person describes a neck feels to them may not translate well to another. Personally that's my excuse to "audition" ukes (troll UU Marketplace, Reverb, etc).

Plucked around on a newish custom Koaloha yesterday... tried my best to pay attention to how it felt, but was pressed for time.
Plucked around on new Romeros earlier this week, also wish I could remember how it felt.
But for me, being newish to ukes, I need a lot of mileage on instruments before I can be confident in describing how necks feels in the hand.
One thing I can say for sure is that Romeros resonates for daaaaays... Compared to other ukes, the resonance feels like it defies the laws of physics.
 
Wukulele said:
One thing I can say for sure is that Romeros resonates for daaaaays... Compared to other ukes, the resonance feels like it defies the laws of physics.
Click to expand...

Yes, the long sustain and ringing overtones are Romero Creations traits. Not everybody likes the extra resonance—some prefer the percussive fast decay of traditional ukuleles—but as a guitar player I found the Romero Creations sustain fit my taste and technique (mainly a soloist and I love to milk sustaining notes with vibrato).
 
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